Does A Fanny Pack Count As A Personal Item? (Answered)

Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel. But what I hate is the fact that taking anything with me boosts the price of my airfare.

Airlines allow you to take personal items as well as your carry on but does a fanny pack count as a personal item?

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What’s The Difference Between A Personal Item?

Booking a flight has never been the easiest of tasks.

If it’s not searching for the lowest fare, the most direct route, or the best airline, you’ve got the added stress of making sure you’re able to take everything you want to.

Personal item fanny pack plane rules — Personal item fanny pack

If you have larger items or bags then these will have to be checked and carried in the plane’s cargo hold.

Nowadays, there is usually an additional charge for hold luggage so passengers prefer to fit everything they’ll need for their trip into their carry-on.

A lot of airlines, especially the bigger ones, allow you to take one carry-on bag for free, as long as it meets the size standards (more on this later.)

However, there are some budget airlines that impose a fee if you want to take a carry-on bag and not just a personal item. But what’s the difference?

Carry on bags are larger than personal items and usually hold a few days worth of clothes, toiletries, and other essential items you might need whilst traveling.

These bags are usually checked at security and will have more safety features than your personal item.

All airlines allow passengers to take a personal item and this is smaller than your carry on. Personal items might include things like purses, handbags, rucksacks, or a laptop bag.

They’re ideal if you’re traveling for a shorter period of time as you’ll still be able to fit your overnight essentials inside.

However, many people use them in addition to a carry-on for extra essentials or items that they may need whilst in the airport or on the aircraft.

Carry On And Personal Item Standards

If you are taking a carry on bag, this is a great way to save money since any checked luggage incurs a fee.

carry on bag plane rules — Carry-on bags

However, there are standards that your carry on must adhere to or you may find you’re not allowed to take it on board. Instead, you’ll be asked to check your bag and pay the relevant fee.

A carry on bag must be able to be put into the overhead lockers.

To adhere to this, the measurements should be as follows:

14 inches wide
22 inches long
9 inches deep

A personal item can be taken into the cabin as well as your carry on so essentially you are allowed two bags.

However, there are rules that stipulate how big your personal item can be.

Personal items must not exceed:

10 inches wide
17 inches long
9 inches deep

It’s important to keep in mind that these measurements are what is considered to be average.

Different airlines may alter these and have their own rules therefore, it’s essential to check this before you travel to avoid any mishaps at the airport.

Does A Fanny Pack Count As A Personal Item?

I’ve read some information online that states a fanny pack is considered to be attire since you wear it.

However, while some airlines may overlook the fact that you’re wearing one, it is best to assume that it’ll fall into the category of a personal item.

The reason I say this is that there are a lot of instances where the gate staff will see your fanny pack and ask you to store it in your carry on, particularly if you already have one personal item.

It might sound crazy because you’ll still be taking everything on board, but as they say ‘them’s the rules!’

Can I Take Any Other Additional Items Onto The Plane?

If you have chosen to take a carry-on bag plus a personal item then the good news is that you’re still allowed to take other things with you.

This does not not mean that you can take any extra bags apart from if you are carrying a diaper bag for a child.

Also read

Best Diaper Bags for Traveling

This can be taken in addition to any other bags you’ve already been permitted to take.

Things like jackets, umbrellas, assistive devices, cameras, breast pumps, pet carriers (where appropriate fees have been paid), and any items purchased in the airport are all permitted on board.

Final Thoughts

For the most part, fanny packs are considered to be a personal item. While there are stories of passengers getting away with wearing a small fanny pack in addition to personal items, this shouldn’t be taken as a given.

Different airlines have different rules and you’ll often find that budget airlines are stricter on their luggage policies because this allows them to charge extra for bags and make up for the low airfares.

The best advice I can give to you is to check with the airline before you travel. Never take it for granted that you’ll be allowed to wear a fanny pack, as a lot of the time, you will be asked to store it inside your carry on.